Known capsule feeding apparatuses normally comprise a store, which is adapted to contain a plurality of capsules of the same type, arranged inside the store randomly or according to a determined order; orientating means, which is adapted to receive the capsules from the store and arrange them in a preferential orientation; and a delivery device, which is adapted to receive the capsules from the orientating means and to cooperate with a brewing device inlet to deliver a single capsule to the brewing device each time.
Capsule feeding apparatuses of the known type specified above are described, for example, in EP1571951 and EP1859418 filed in the name of the same Applicant.
In the field of automatic beverage vending machines, use of capsules to produce specific beverages, in particular coffee-based beverages, is particularly appreciated both since it allows a beverage to be obtained of considerably higher quality than a beverage using loose soluble material, and for reasons of hygiene, practicality and efficiency.
Until now, however, the known automatic vending machines have normally been capable of producing one beverage type only starting with capsules, since they are generally only provided with a single capsule feeding apparatus associated with a brewing device. In order to overcome this limitation, an obvious solution could be to add other production devices, each comprising a respective capsule feeding apparatus and a respective brewing device. In practice, however, a solution of this type would be unacceptable, for reasons of space and costs.